It is generally acknowledged that vegetables and fruit are vital part to healthy diet. This fact has gained importance in today's stressed climate where junk and fast food play is accounted for a high number of different diseases. As a response to this need, solutions are looked for which increases the consumption of vegetables and fruits in a fast and yet convenient way.
While it is known to slice food like an apple and to put the sliced parts in a cup, it is equally known that the slicing of food and putting it in a cup necessitates handling of the food after it has been sliced, which not only inconvenient in further handling but which is also unfavourable with respect to hygiene. In addition, both actions are needed which discourages people to effectively digest the sliced apple.
It is clear from the above that there remains a demand for a technical solution which not only motivates the consumer to digest more fruit and vegetables but also which does this in a convenient and hygienic way.
The present invention meets this demand by providing a specifically designed convenient food cup that allows for a less complex slicing method while still ensuring maximum hygiene.
The present invention is directed to an article of manufacture which provides for both a slicing and a holding function of the sliced food, a maximum hygiene level can be offered since no handling of the food is required post slicing. Furthermore, the cutting means are automatically replaced after each slicing operation thereby rendering the cleaning of the cutting means between two consecutive slicing operations redundant.
Prior art methods such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,847 discloses a device for slicing food articles comprising a) a cup that consists of a base and an inclined side wall provided with radial slits extending from the base to the outer edge and b) a rosette of cutting elements that can be moved up and down through said slits in the cup. When providing an article of food in the cup and consecutively moving the rosette of cutting elements down in the cup and through the slits, the article of food is sliced. Once the cutting elements are removed from the cup, the cup can be taken out of the device with the sliced food therein. An inconvenience of the US '847 assembly is that after each slicing movement, the cup has to be removed and replaced and the cutting elements have to be rinsed for reasons of hygiene.
It is clear that none of the prior art methods disclose nor suggest the presently claimed subject matter nor the benefits resulting from the present invention.